Teaching with Special Collections

We welcome undergraduate and graduate class visits. We offer instructional sessions using collection materials in either our Seminar Room (the Graham George Room) or our Reading Room depending on availability.

Our collections are intended for teaching. Special Collections instruction sessions provide students with the opportunity to conduct hands-on research with primary sources, develop research skills, learn how to handle rare materials, and prepare for future independent work in special collections.

Request a Class

We kindly ask that you request classes a minimum of two weeks in advance. We can generally accommodate a maximum of twenty students, but will do all in our power to meet your needs. Contact Special Collections if you have questions about class size. Access our Schedule a Class form here.

Classes

We offer a few options on how to plan your class visit. Regardless of how you choose to lead your session, we remind you and your students that class visits are conducted in a reading room environment and students will be expected to follow our Reading Room Guidelines.

Librarian Led Class

Special Collections librarians are available and excited to teach classes with our collections. We will custom design the session to best meet your teaching objectives for your course by:

• Featuring collection material that corresponds to your specific course
• Engaging students in hands-on exercises and group discussion
• Providing an orientation to the reading room environment and rare materials research

Faculty & Librarian Led Class

We are here to support your teaching and are happy to co-teach sessions. This partnership enables students to understand why you’ve chosen particular items and how they relate to your course, while simultaneously learning how to conduct materials research.

Faculty Led Class

Faculty are welcome to teach their own sessions with Special Collections materials. A librarian may remain present in the room to ensure proper handling and care of the items.

Teaching Support

• Orientation to Special Collections
  We love introducing people to our wonderful collections and are happy to provide an individual orientation to Special Collections. We can tour the collections and suggest materials for specific courses. We also provide introductions to procedures: requesting a class, compiling a course list, reserving items for assignments. If you would like to schedule an orientation contact us with possible dates. You will be directed to an available librarian.
• Teaching Resources
  • Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy
    Developed by the ACRL RBMS - SAA joint task force
  • Sample handouts
    • Special Collections Visit Handout
    • Binding & Bibliographic Terms
    • Library of Congress, Primary Source Analysis Tool
    • National Archives and Records Administration, Document Analysis Worksheets
  • TeachArchives.org
    Example lessons, teaching philosophies, and articles on teaching with archives. Based on the three year teaching project at the Brooklyn Historical Society.
  • Teach with Stuff
    Resource Bank & Information Exchange for Anyone Teaching with Primary Sources